Hull City's Tom Huddlestone backs Mike Phelan as manager
Friday 12 August 2016 15:37, UK
Hull City midfielder Tom Huddlestone has backed Mike Phelan to be given the manager's job full-time.
Phelan has been in charge of the squad since Steve Bruce left the club last month following an apparent breakdown in his relationship with the board.
The 53-year-old will be in the dugout for the opening Premier League game of the season against Leicester on Saturday and Huddlestone will be happy to see him there, although he has expressed some frustration that an appointment had not already been made.
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"I think he's done well," Huddlestone said. "He's got a few new ideas which the lads have adapted to. If he is to get the job it's just a shame he wasn't given it straight away.
"The players and staff just want clarity whichever way the chairman goes. You just want things decided as soon as possible."
Huddlestone's concerns extend to the lack of players coming into a squad, which has actually decreased in size with Mohamed Diame, who scored the winner to send Hull up via the Championship play-off, having left for Newcastle.
"You even see teams in the Championship spending dozens of millions every few weeks on players and we're yet to bring one in," he said.
"It's a bit strange, but we've just got to stick together. We're going to need a few signings if realistically we're going to stay up.
"It is surprising. You see the likes of Middlesbrough and Burnley, especially Middlesbrough, have signed four or five established international players who have competed at the top level for years."
